Ziyao Zhou

Online disinhibition significantly influences adolescents' communication and behaviors in digital environments, yet culturally adapted measurement tools remain limited in China. This study aimed to develop and validate a Chinese version of the Online Disinhibition Scale (ODS‐C) based on Suler's (2004) theoretical framework. We translated and adapted Cheung et al.'s (2020) questionnaire through rigorous forward and backward translation protocols. Using a calibration sample ( n = 686), we tested the scale's internal structure, reliability, and construct validity. A cross‐validation sample ( n = 687) was subsequently employed to verify and select the optimal internal structure of the ODS‐C, assess measurement invariance across gender, and examine criterion validity based on relationships with internet addiction and cyberbullying perpetration. The final ODS‐C demonstrated a hierarchical five‐factor structure, in which dissociative anonymity and invisibility functioned as two distinct first‐order factors subsumed under a higher‐order anonymity factor, while the remaining four dimensions—asynchronicity, solipsistic introjection, dissociative imagination, and minimization of authority—operated as independent first‐order factors. Results indicate that the ODS‐C demonstrates high internal consistency, robust construct validity, and significant criterion validity. Evidence of measurement invariance confirmed the stability of the factor structure, loadings, and variances across genders. The ODS‐C provides researchers and practitioners with a reliable and valid tool for assessing online disinhibition among Chinese adolescents, facilitating more culturally informed interventions and policies addressing digital behavior.

Child neglect often leaves no visible scars, yet its impact can reverberate deeply in the lives of children. Drawing on survey data from 1043 middle‐school students in China (Mean age = 14.21, 51.1% male), this study investigates how neglect shapes two forms of maladjustment: school burnout and internet addiction. Results reveal that resilience acts as a crucial buffer, partially mediating the harmful effects of neglect. Notably, the relationship between neglect and school burnout is significantly moderated by left‐behind status, with non‐left‐behind youth showing stronger vulnerability. These findings highlight resilience as a critical pathway linking neglect to adolescent maladjustment and reveal contextual heterogeneity in risk susceptibility. The study underscores the need for resilience‐focused, context‐sensitive interventions in both school and community settings.

Supportive interactions on social media have great potential to benefit adolescents’ development. However, there is no instrument to measure online social support (OSS) in China. The study aimed to develop and validate a Chinese short version of the Online Social Support Scale (OSSS). The original scale was translated into Chinese through multiple forward and backward translation protocols. The calibration sample (N = 262) was used to select items and test the reliability, validity, and internal structure of the short form. The cross-validation sample (N = 267) was then used to assess measurement invariance by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and examine criterion validity based on its relationships with life satisfaction, depression, and time on social media. The 20-item Chinese short version of OSSS (OSSS-CS) includes four factors: esteem/emotional support, social companionship, informational support, and instrumental support. Our results suggest that the OSSS-CS has high internal consistency, construct validity, and criterion validity. Furthermore, evidence of partial cross-validity demonstrated invariance of the variance–covariance matrices, factor structure, factor loadings, and factor variance across independent samples. The results also revealed that the original OSSS could be replicated across cultures. Finally, the short form developed in the study can be used as a reliable and valid measure of online social support among the Chinese adolescent population.

Introduction: The potential benefits of supportive interactions on social networking sites on adolescents’ mental health are promising; however, no systematic evaluation has been conducted on this topic. This review examined empirical research on the relationship between social support derived from social networking sites and adolescents’ mental health both theoretically and empirically.Methods: Followed PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature search on six English and three Chinese databases in February 2020. Four thousand one hundred and seventy‐seven articles were screened first by title, then abstract, and lastly, full articles.Results: Fourteen studies (five English and nine Chinese) were identified, with total sample of 11,616 adolescents (age: 10–19 years; females: 42.7%–56.3%). Meta‐analysis showed that the correlation of online social support with self‐esteem was moderate and significant (r = .29), but with depression was small and insignificant (r = −.09). Sensitivity analysis indicated that social support from acquaintances on the internet may not be as beneficial as from real‐life acquaintances. Despite that there isn't enough research on other specific mental health outcomes to run a quantitative synthesis, individual studies suggest that online social support (OSS) may be associated with increased self‐identity and life satisfaction, decreased loneliness and social anxiety, it also counteracts the negative effect of stress and cyberbullying on mental health.Conclusions: OSS might be beneficial for adolescents' mental health, especially self‐esteem, although the causal relationship requires longitudinal studies to confirm, and the underlying mechanisms need further investigation.